Undergarment



Nov. 21, 1939. D. BLAIR UNDERGARMENT Filed July 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 21,1939.

' D. BLAIR UNDERGARMENT Filed July 16 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to a maternity undergarment and more particularly to corselets, brassieres and the like which are adapted to be worn by women during pre-natal and post-natal periods.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of an undergarment of this character which is adapted to be adjustable to snugly fit the body of a person who is undergoing changes in bodily proportions during the pre-natal and post natal periods.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an undergarment of this character having breast receiving pockets which are adapted to be adjustable to conform to the changes in the breast proportions or breast configurations of the wearer.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a brassire'construction which permits nursing of a child without the inconvenience of removing the garment from the body of the wearer and with a minimum of rearrangement of said garment.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a maternity undergarment which is particularly adapted to be worn as a supporting garment during the period of pregnancy.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of the undergarment as it would appear on the person of a wearer.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of same.

Fig. 3 is a rear fragmentary perspective view of the upper front portion of the undergarment partly broken away, showing the details of the brassiere construction with one pocket in detached position.

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of a modified embodiment, showing the principles of the invention applied to an undergarment to be worn as a brassire.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on theline 5-5 of Fig., 3.

In the present state of the art, while provision has in some instances been made in undergarments of this character for the transverse adjustment of breast receiving pockets, none of them embodies a construction which is designed to provide for a longitudinal adjustment of said breast receiving pockets during the period of pregnancy and-during the nursing period when the breasts continuously assume proportional changes. Manifestly, only a brassiere construction providing for such an adjustment, can provide for the proper support of the breasts.

It is also highly desirable, in such undergarments which are adapted to be worn during the In accordance with the foregoing, it is there--:

fore, the purpose of this invention to provide a novel type of undergarment which is readily adjustable to conform to changing body proportions which provides for longitudinal and transverse adjustments of the breast pockets, which permits nursing'with a minimum of rearrangement of the garment and which supports the abdomen without the use of any metallic or unyielding stays.

Referring to the drawings,the numeral designates the improved undergarment, as a whole, which comprises a front portion II and a back portion l2. Securement of these two portions is effected along line I3. Disposed longitudinally along the free edge [4 of the front portion H are a plurality of hooks I5 whichareadapted to engage eyes It disposed on the free edge I! of the back portion l2 and to secure the garment on the body of the wearer. Stitched to the upper edges of the front and back portions II and I2 are the shoulder straps l8 and 19 which are preferably made of elastic material.

' The front portion ll of the garment is formed of a brassiere member 20 and a corset member 2| which is stitched to the lower edge of said brassiere member. The corset section I 2| is formed of three panels of elastic material 2 I a, Nb and 2Io secured by stitching as at 22 and 22a. Depending from the lower edges of the corset section 2| are the adjustable hose supporting members 23 and 24 which are preferably made of elastic material. It is seen that the corset portion 2| is completely elastic and does not have in its construction any stays or unyieldable parts which may tend to constrict the abdomen.

The brassiere member 20 made preferably of non-elastic material comprises two opposed waist line sections 25 and 26 arranged in spaced relationship and stitched to the upper edge of the corset section as at 25a and 26a. Stitched on a curved line, as at 2111 and 28a, to sections 25 and 26 are the pocket forming members 2! and 28 respectively. Similarly stitched to the upper edges of said pocket forming members 21 and 28, as at 29a and 30a, are the substantially triangularly shaped pocket flaps 29 and 30 respectively, which are provided at their upper edges with loops of elastic material 3| and 32 respectively. Said loops are provided with hooks 33 and 34 respectively. Overlying the pocket flaps 29 and 30 are the upper members 35 and 36 which are stitched at the lower sides of said flaps as at 3501. and 36a. Elastic gores 31 and 38 are stitched to the members 35 and 36, as at 3'Iaand 38a, to rendersaid members transversely extensible and cause them to fit snugly against-.the ,contourof thebreast of the wearer. Elastic loops 39 and 40 are stitched to the upper edges of the members 35 and 36 respectively. Said loops are provided with adjusting means 4| and 42 which are adapted to be engaged by the hooks 33 and 34 to maintain the flaps 29 and 30 in upright relation to serve as pockets for supporting the breasts.

The opposed side edges 43 and 44 of the brassiere member 20 are provided with lacing flies 45 and 46 and eyes 41 through which are passed laces 48. by means of which the entire garment is rendered transversely adjustable. A lining 49 secured rearwardly of the lacing flies 45 and 46 and extending the full length of said flies serves to protect the body of the wearer against chafing by the irregular surface presented by the eyes and the lacing.

The back portion l2 of the garment comprises two opposed sections 50 and 5| to which are stitched as at 50a and 5|a, the elastic panels 52 and 53 respectively. The opposed edges 54 and 55 of said sections are provided with lacing flies 56 and 51 extending the full length of the garment and containing flexible stays 58 and 59 in suitable pockets. Said flies are also provided with eyes 60 adapted to receive laces 5| by means of which the garment is rendered adjustable. The sections 50 and 5| are secured at their upper edges to the shoulder straps I8 and I9 hereinbefore described and are provided with longitudinal pockets 62 and 63 adapted to receive flexible stays. Depending from the lower edges of said sections are the hose supporters 64 and 65 which are preferrably in loop form and which are provided with conventional adjustable means.

While an undergarment of the type known as a corselet has been described, it will be apparent from the foregoing, that the brassiere portion as illustrated in Fig. 4, substantially of the same construction as that hereinbefore' described, can be used and worn independently of the corset portion.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the construction of the brassire portion is identical to that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that elastic gores 56 and 6'! are stitched to the adjacent sections as at 66a and 610..

In the use of this invention the free edges l4 and I? are brought together and secured on the body of the wearer by means of hooks 5 and eyes |6 disposed on said edges. The lacings 48 and 6| are adjusted to cause the garment to fit the body and then longitudinal adjustments are made on the breast receiving pockets by the adjusting means 4| and 42 on the straps 39 and 40. It is thus seen that both transverse and longitudinal adjustments can be made on each breast pocket so that the garment at all times fits snugly against the body and ofiers adequate support for the breasts and abdomen. Under normal conditions the flaps 29 and 30 are secured in an upright relation as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. For nursing purposes either one of the hooks 33 and 34 may be disengaged and the flaps 29 and 30 folded down interiorly as shown in Fig. 3, thus exposing the breasts without any other rearrangement of the garment on the body of the wearer.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example ofthe same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An undergarment of the class described comprising a brassire construction having longitudinally extensible and adjustably securable breast receiving pockets, each of said pockets formed of two sections, one of said sections arranged to lie adjacent to and completely enclose the breast of the wearer, the other section forming the shoulder portion of said brassire construction and partly overlying said first mentioned section, a corset portion, the front section of which is completely elastic and nonconstricting, a back section provided with flexible stiffening members, and lacing means for rendering the undergarment transversely adjustable.

2. In a brassire construction, a breast receiving pocket formed of two sections arranged to provide an opening therebetween, one of said sections arranged to completely enclose the breast and support same, the other section forming the shoulder section of said brassire construction and partly overlying said breast enclosing section, said breast enclosing section disengageably secured to said shoulder section upwardly of said breast enclosing section, said breast enclosing section arranged to be extensible longitudinally of the body of the wearer to conform same to changing breast configurations.

3. In a brassire construction, an adjustable breast receiving pocket comprising a section arranged to lie adjacent to and completely enclose the breast of the wearer, a shoulder section partly overlying said aforementioned section and adapted to provide an opening therebetween, said aforementioned section normally disengageably secured in upright position to said shoulder section and adapted to close said opening, adjusting means for rendering said aforementioned section extensible longitudinally of the body of the wearer to conform said section to changing breast configurations, said aforementioned section adapted to be disengaged from said shoulder section to permit same to be'lowered to expose the breast for nursing.

4. In an undergarment, a brassiere construction comprising a plurality of breast receiving pockets, each of said pockets formed of an upper section and breast enclosing lower section arranged to provide an opening therebetween, said lower section extending upwardly and partly underlying said upper sectionwhich terminates above said lower breast enclosing section, said lower breast enclosing section being adapted to completely encompass the breast to form a breast receiving pocket/and longitudinally adjustable means secured to said lower section to permit longitudinal adjustment of said lower section to conform same to changing breast configurations.

5. In an undergarment, a brassire construction comprising a plurality of breast receiving pockets, each of said pockets formed of an upper and lower section arranged to provide an opening therebetween, said lower section extending upwardly and partly underlying said upper section and adapted to completely encompass the breast to form a breast receiving pocket, and means secured to said lower section to permit longitudinal adjustment of said lower section to conform same to changing breast configurations, elastic means in said upper section adapted to render said section transversely extensible.

DAVID BLAIR. 

